No other sports story in the last 12 months resonated as strongly as the gruesome revelation of the former Penn State defensive coordinator's long pedophilic history. Sandusky lured vulnerable young men looking for positive direction in their lives into his monstrous web.

His actions -- and Penn State's apparent blindness to what was unfolding right before its eyes -- brought forth the strongest sanctions ever in NCAA history for a case that didn't involve excessive benefits.

There was once honor ... and then came Joe Paterno.

Sadly, it was probably a blessing that lung cancer took Paterno in the early weeks of 2012. It protected what shards remained from a once-peerless legacy -- the uncontested model of what was good and just about college football.

But the head coach who won more games than any other in college football history posthumously became the example of a reckless autonomy, football trumping the moral responsibility of those in authority.

Those defending Paterno maintain that the "real story" was buried with him and that he deserves the benefit of the doubt. But even the university removed his statue, quickly distancing itself from its single most iconic figure -- a preemptive move against future civil litigation from Sandusky's victims.

There was once heroism ... and then came Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong, a cancer survivor, had been the embodiment of unrelenting will.

His inspiring story raised millions for cancer research as he became the greatest cyclist of all time. He not only defied amazing odds once when he survived brain cancer, but he was perceived as the lone honest broker in a competition considered the dirtiest sport in regards to performance-enhancing drug usage.

But Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles in 2012 due to doping allegations. His reluctance to continue fighting to save his reputation suggested that even he knew it was a lost cause.

There was once tradition ... and then came the Big Ten.

The conference raided other league's teams when it snatched Maryland away from the Atlantic Coast Conference and Rutgers from the soon-to-be defunct Big East. Maryland left its roots because it was broke and needed a quick infusion of money.

Who cares about history? Who cares about rivalries?

The Big Ten is home to the biggest football stadiums in the country, but its actions seem to cater to those who are either priced out of attending the games or are happy watching their favorite teams on their wide-screen, high-definition televisions without worrying about traffic jams and long lines for portable toilets.

There was once integrity ... and then came baseball's Hall of Fame ballot.

This became the first steroid vote. First-time eligible candidates Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa own some of the game's more cherished records and none of them are likely to gain entry in their first year.

The feds couldn't convict Bonds and Clemens on the more serious charges involving their suspected steroids usage.

But is there a voter out there who doesn't believe all three cheated to gain a competitive edge?

I didn't include them on my ballot.

This was a year in which you learned that history and hypocrisy carried equal weight.

Sports stopped being the idyllic toy store -- after all, we couldn't help but notice that many of the toys were broken.